Three-headed center another reminder of old Bulls

In terms of the roster composition, if not yet the sustained success, this Heat squad resembles the Bulls squads that won six championships during the 1990s.

And not simply because its two best players are its wings.

There’s a similarity in the middle now too, as Erik Spoelstra goes with a three-headed center most nights, splitting the minutes between limited pivots with different strengths.

In his first seven games after signing with the Heat, Erick Dampier played a total of 46 minutes, and never more than 11. Monday, he played 24, including the final seven as the Heat closed the game out. Zydrunas Ilgauskas played a season-high 30 minutes against Memphis on Nov. 20, and his minute totals have ranged from 10 to 17 during the past seven games. Joel Anthony, the former starter who is also working some at power forward, has had the most fluctuation. He was inactive for two games, played just 11 minutes in the next, then played at least 22 minutes in each of the next six games before playing just seven against Milwaukee.

“It keeps everybody fresh,” Ilgauskas said.

This is a fresh approach for the Heat, which has had a history of heavy-workload centers, from Alonzo Mourning to the undersized Brian Grant to Shaquille O’Neal and even to Jermaine O’Neal the past two seasons.

But it’s hardly unique in recent NBA history.

While winning six NBA titles in eight seasons, Chicago routinely rotated three centers per night, never had a center among its top four in scoring, and only had one (Luc Longley’s 11.4) average in double figures. Longley might have been the best of a dirty dozen, which included Stacey King, a past-his-prime Bill Cartwright, Scott Williams, Will Perdue, Chuck Nevitt, James Edwards, John Salley, Bill Wennington, Bison Dele, Joe Kleine, and a past-his-prime Robert Parish. Yet Chicago still succeeded, during an era with far more quality players at that position: Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson and Rik Smits among them.